The feature image is from Bose patent 10835145, Ear tips capable of capturing bioelectrical signals and providing nerve stimulation.
Bose is not the only company thinking Big by going Small.
Hearing Aids as Small Auditory Augmented Reality Devices
Readers from hearing health lines of work may wonder why patent lists of recent months include inventions centered on virtual/augmented reality and all sorts of spatial localization concepts using various forms of binaural rendering/recording. Hearing aids don’t record or render, to our thinking, nor are they gaming paraphernalia. But, they are small wonders that fit comfortably into a direct sensory pathway and connect automatically to other devices, such as another unit in the other ear, and both to a smartphone or other controlling element. That’s an inviting setup for gaming headset designers, among other inventors, if the devices can reduce headset bulkiness and eliminate the need to switch out audio devices when going from daily living to virtual gaming, or other created activities.
We–and the FDA –don’t tend to think that way: hearing aids process sounds in our natural surrounds, not sounds in imagined or remote settings. That’s a problem for headset designers who seek to transport us to imagined, remote or augmented worlds. But, it’s a solvable problem, as the patent lists demonstrate on a monthly basis.
Here’s just one AR designer’s thinking on how small in-ear devices could function in AR auditorium environments. It is not a big leap to think of a future in which wearers move seamlessly in auditory space between traditional hearing aid functions and a multitude of alternative auditory activities:
Augmented reality is a version of our “real,” physical world augmented with virtual effects. Many augmented reality devices and applications focus primarily on adding virtual images to the real physical world. More recently, some augmented reality devices have incorporated 3-dimensional sound fields to add to the realism of an augmented reality world. To maintain a realistic augmented reality experience, a user’s position and orientation is typically tracked, such that virtual objects and sounds may be appropriately manipulated as the user moves…Efficient user tracking methods allow a user to experience an interactive auditory augmented reality experience by using a relatively small auditory augmented reality device.10835809
Bringing these ideas closer to home and the here-and-now, here’s Sennheiser’s patent 10827253, roughly paraphrased:
…earphones with stereo microphones…have reduced speech quality for telephone function. …the present invention … an earphone [with] stereo microphones…is better suited for connection to a multimedia device with telephone function and audio recording and/or audio reproduction function.… one microphone is arranged on or close to an ear… to record sound events as they are perceived by the user during normal hearing. The monitoring system also contains earphones in order to bring the sound to the ear of the user…the connection unit can [also] …output audio signals of the two microphones for recording ambient sound or audio signals…for capturing speech….The earphone can thus be used as a hearing/speech accessory (headset).
The November 2020 Patent List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
System and method to locally deliver therapeutic agent to inner ear |
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (New York NY) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Cochlear implants having MRI-compatible magnet apparatus and associated methods |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Device for enhancement of language processing in autism spectrum disorders through modifying the auditory stream including an acoustic stimulus to reduce an acoustic detail characteristic while preserving a lexicality of the acoustics stimulus |
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA), The Trustees of the University of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Wireless earbud |
Amazon Technologies Inc (Seattle, WA) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Earbud stability anchor feature |
Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Earphone having separate microphones for binaural recordings and for telephoning |
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co KL (Wedemark, DE), Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co LG (Wedemark, DE) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Hearing aid system |
Applicant: Chen, Hsiao-Han (Tianan, TW) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Flexible hearing aid circuit with motherboard and peripheral attachments |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Method for operating a hearing aid and hearing aid |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Hearing device with spatial cue information processing capability |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Method of operating a hearing device and hearing device |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Ear to ear communication using wireless low energy transport |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Antenna unit |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
11/03/2020 |
|
|
Sleep staging using an in-ear photoplethysmography (PPG) |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Surface modified electrodes |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Cochlear implant assemblies and methods for manufacturing the same |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Wearable case for hearing device and methods for using the same |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Sound synthesis for data sonification employing a human auditory perception eigenfunction model in Hilbert space |
Applicant: Ludwig, Lester F (San Antonio, TX) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Audio control using auditory event detection |
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Electronic attenuation adjusting hearing protection device |
International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Hearing devices with proactive power management |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Hearing aid with an antenna |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Moving an emoji to move a location of binaural sound |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Methods and systems for designing and applying numerically optimized binaural room impulse responses |
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Switching binaural sound from head movements |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Audio listening system |
Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) |
11/10/2020 |
|
|
Ear tips capable of capturing bioelectrical signals and providing nerve stimulation |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Peptide for preventing hearing loss, and composition comprising same |
GemVax & KAEL Co Ltd (Daejeon, KR) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Auditorium efficient tracking in auditory augmented reality |
Applicant: Contreras, Kristina (Los Angeles, CA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Device-cleaning wax guards |
Eargo Inc (San Jose, CA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Binaural rendering for headphones using metadata processing |
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Artificial intelligence to enhance a listening experience |
Applicant: Kovacevic, Josh (West Jordan, UT) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Communication network of in-ear utility devices having sensors |
SmartEar Inc (San Francisco, CA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
In-ear headphone |
Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Programmable hearing device and method of programming a hearing device |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Method of adapting a hearing apparatus |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Hearing device with two-half loop antenna |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Enhanced hearing system |
Applicant: Tran, Bao (Saratoga, CA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Sharing locations where binaural sound externally localizes |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Communication device with wireless interface using different protocols |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Earbud |
Shenzhen Ginto E-Commerce Co Ltd (Shenzhen, CN) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Wireless earbud |
Applicant: Xian, Guimei (Shenzhen, CN) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Ear plug |
Ear Labs AB (Malmo, SE) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
In-ear audio device customization |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
11/17/2020 |
|
|
Method and apparatus for tinnitus evaluation with test sound automatically adjusted for loudness |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Electrode insertion tool with additional functionality |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Fixation of a removable magnet or a similar element in an elastic implant material |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Method and system for use of hearing prosthesis for linguistic evaluation |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Shielding device for signal transmission coil |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Methods and systems for neural stimulation via auditory stimulation |
Cognito Therapeutics Inc (Cambridge, MA) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Cycling hearing device and bicycle system |
Finewell Co Ltd (Osaka, JP) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Method, electronic device and recording medium for compensating in-ear audio signal |
HTC Corporation (Taoyuan, TW) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Binaural recording for processing audio signals to enable alerts |
Intel Corporation (Santa Clara, CA) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Audio system with integral hearing test |
Applicant: Rountree, Sr, Robert Newton (Cotopaxi, CO) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Method for improving the spatial hearing perception of a binaural hearing aid |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Hearing device with adaptive sub-band beamforming and related method |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
User adjustment interface using remote computing resource |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Implant abutment |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Convertibility of a bone conduction device |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Hearing aid for placement at an ear of a user |
Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Binaural audio signal processing method and apparatus for determining rendering method according to position of listener and object |
Gaudi Audio Lab Inc (Seoul, KR) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Displaying graphical representations for binaural sound |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Playing binaural sound clips during an electronic communication |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Binaural sound in visual entertainment media |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Method for processing an audio signal, signal processing unit, binaural renderer, audio encoder and audio decoder |
Fraunhfer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Munich, DE) |
11/24/2020 |
|
|
Earbud |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
11/24/2020 |
Holly Hosford-Dunn, PhD, owned and operated a dispensing audiology practice in Tucson and was active in management of HearingHealthMatters.org through 2017. She holds BA degrees in Communication Sciences, Psychology and Economics; MA in Communication Disorders; PhD in Hearing Sciences. Following post-doctoral work at Max Planck Institute (Munich, DE) and Eaton-Peabody Auditory Physiology Lab (Boston), she joined the Stanford medical school faculty as director of audiology. She has authored/edited numerous text books, chapters, journals, and articles and taught Marketing and Practice Management in a variety of academic settings. She continues to consult and write on topics related to hearing health care vis-à-vis consumer demands, professional training, technological advancement, capital investment, industry consolidation, regulatory control, product and service distribution, and strategic pricing.
